Bauchi and Gombe State communities have appealed to the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari to mount pressure on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to begin oil and gas exploration in Bauchi and Gombe State and the entire Gongola basin.
Chairman of Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State Yusuf Garba Alkaleri, and Barrister Abdulahi Mohammed Inuwa from Gombe State made the call separately when they interacted with reporters in Bauchi.
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Yusuf, who is the Bauchi State Chairman of Associations of Local Government Chairmen, said that oil and gas exploration in the area would trigger economic activities and create jobs for the states in the region.
He said, even though government work has certain procedures but it will be good if government hasten the exploration since oil was discovered in commercial quantity.
“We need to start selling the oil to boost economic activities and create more employment opportunities to our youths,” Yusuf said and commended the NNPC for the payment of compensation to the people whose farms and plots of land were affected during searching of oil blocks in the area.
He said “We are grateful to the Bauchi Governor who created a conducive atmosphere by citing Schools Hospital’s and other Social amenities needed for the smooth takeoff of the oil business in the area”
On his part Barrister Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa said “Three oils blocks were discovered in the area. We need President Buhari and the Federal Government to build even small Modular refineries and start digging the oil in the market in order to boost economic activities.
Abdullahi who came from the communities where oil was discovered appealed to the NNPC to pay the owners of farms and plots of lands affected compensation because some people their farmlands including crops wee destroyed as a result of movement of heavy duty equipment.
Two weeks ago in Maiduguri, President Muhammadu Buhari said newly discovered oil in Bauchi and Gombe states will help balance the “politics of oil” across the country.
“Now oil has almost become irrelevant, but we thank God that oil is now discovered in Bauchi and Gombe and that will help to balance the politics of oil in the country.”
Some believed that Buhari was referring to the Niger Delta’s perceived political power arising from its rich petroleum deposit.
